photography – Rons life through the lens

11 Years The Reward.

So I drive somewhere different this morning, and watch the Rabbits, Brown Hare, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Skylark and Meadow Pipit all starting the new day. I come to a dead end and sit and look over a valley imaginings of Barn Owl, Short Eared Owl flying low looking for food for the young Owlets. I am so appreciated of the beauty of the English countryside.

Hundreds of hours of searching 11 years with just a few sightings and always sitting in a gutter or hiding in a small crevis. This bird has alluded me for 11 years. So I start to drve back to my resting place, windows down camera on my lap. The stone wall runs alongside me on both sides, my eyes are trained to locate anything out of the ordinary.

I stare ahead and whisper the words Little Owl, please stay calm and let me spend some time with you, I bring you no harm my little Owl.

I stopped the car and slowly raise my lens up hoping it won’t fly away. Most encounters end with the Owl flying away before you stop, but this day was mine, the hours of dedication rewarded in a brief moment in time. The right time, place, my heart starts to race as our eyes meet through my viewfinder. I stare at the Owls face its eyes fixed on me.

The sight of this fantastic hunter, amazing ability to adapt and overcome the changing climate. It sits with one foot up showing me its relaxed so I calm down a bit and have time to check my settings, they have to be right so I change my aperture 6.3 to 7.1 up to f8. Then I 5hink of Shutter speed just In case it moves or does something out of the ordinary.

The experience is overwhelming and I forget all what’s going on around me. It preens in the morning sun not bothered about me. My Shutter is blazing away, stopping checking all is OK on my viewfinder. 11 years of waiting they have to be good. Then it decides to stretch.

O that’s nice just getting ready to fly for Blackie.

So I fly for you and sit for you, its your time Blackie it was worth the wait.

So Blackie and the Little Owl meet in the countryside and spend some quiet time together for the first time. 495 images later he decides to leave the Owl in peace, maybe to return for another meeting.

Time Away To Reflect

hi folks its been a while since i wrote a blog, i had no plan to stop writing but felt it time to return and try and get back to my writing again. I have lots of news but will start with the camera news. My mate and Workhorse Sony A7R4 Died on me about 5 weeks ago with no warning at all. It was out of warranty and after the insurance company messed me about i had no choice but to get a second hand Sony A9.

Loosing half my resolution going from 61mp to 24 is a loss but the speed of the A9 has opened a new world for me, people that follow me know that i love flight shots or any action shots, so the A9 has given me a better hit rate.

The time on site has been very busy and instead of going down to the Hide i have been concentrating on the river for the Kingfisher and up on the moors looking for the Short Eared Owl.

Sitting waiting for hours pays off as other wildlife comes to you without any effort, this will become a big part of the gallery and add some lovely species of bird to my already huge gallery.

Aims this year have been the Kingfisher, Brown Hare and Red Fox and i am glad to say i have met all my challenges spending hours waiting for the image. Together with Bullfinch and Dipper, baby Curlew and many more its been a great season up to now.

Please enjoy the gallery and feel free to ask any questions.

Last Aim of the year is to film the Short Eared Owl and that will make the season complete.

Living in Paradise

When i look outside and see the dull cloudy day it usually means a day in doors, but when you live in the country its totally different and my mind just fills with challenges i can try. Having trees grass woods streams and meadows filled with wild flowers just becomes a photo heaven for me.

Everywhere you look there is something of interest and having different styles of photography and having the lens and camera to take such a image is a great tool if you can call it that. So with this in mind i ventured out with 2 camera’s and a ND filter which can be used for all types of things but i wanted it to cretae a nice stream image with silky water. It is still something i need to work at but the scene was lovely so i tried a few shots.

The last image was taken using the Sony A7r4 with 61mp so to get the true colour image resolution and whole scene you should really see it on a HD Tablet or TV screen to see the pure beauty of it. I have it as a screen saver and its Stunning. Only downside to the world and image veiwing is that most people will see this on a 5 inch Mobile phone screen.

So i then triwd a few Bluebell images using the Sony 90mm Macro lens another type of photography that requires hours and hours of practice. Because of the magnification of the lens its very hard to get the whole subject sharp.

Wildlife Update

arriving late this season was a shame but the wildlife seems to be behind the usual time. The Swallow has only just arrived and the Jacdaw Crow are still collecting material for the nest. But it looks like the Tawny Owl is well into the breeding process with the first young one seen last night.

Saying that the Kingfisher seems to be well behind and not feeding like you would expect at the end of April. I see the first young fledge around 1st May so it will need more observations this week to see if both adults are busy on the river. I have had a fantastic 2 weeks seeing the Red Fox, Roe Deer and Buzzard all in image distance with some great shots to go to my collection.

The Red Fox being my best image of the year so far

Then spending time on the river i came across the Kingfisher and after a few visits i managed to get a few images, which are not the best and i hope to get better when i visit next, as i dont think the young have fledged yet.

So with the first few weeks on site a real good start it just got better when i found out that a Barn Owl Nest Box i built and placed up on the moors in my mates barn has got a adult bringing voles in, means they could have young in it.

I will be updating as i find more birds and animals on site and on my travels

Blackie

New Location

Set up a new temporary Hide in Bluebell wood. I went back for my tea and returned at 18.45hrs.

As soon as I sat down a Brown Hare went past but I just watched it. Then within minutes a Red Fox went past so I changed location to film it coming back to the woods. It sat for me and I got a lovely 4k video. I moved away so it could get to its cubs.

Then I say back in my Hide and above me was a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers mating something I have never witnessed before. A Jay flew over then a Buzzard.

It could not have gone any better my first time in my new Hide but it did. I spotted 2 white Bums in the field opposite me and it was a Male and Female Roe Deer feeding on the grass.

Just noticed a Male and Female Mallard about 100 feet away I flushed them out today so they may have young down there. You never know what will turn up and being away so long and the woods so quiet the wildlife has got used to peace and quiet.

It’s that quiet I can the chomping on the grass behind me from the Lamb’s The light has gone so I will finish the writing and make my way back to the van.

Slowly I move out of my Hide and treading carefully I made my way along the path, only to be met by the Roe Deer eating the grass from the path edged

No Thoughts

This is not negative writing but a first for me and have to describe my feelings.

As readers know my mind play tricks on me and the latest is truly amazing, I have been living up at my static van in the countryside with my 2 Beautiful ladies, Ruth and Bella for 3 weeks.

I came home to our house yesterday and after doing what I had to do I sat down and for a moment I asked myself, why are you not thinking of anything at all. My head felt clear, clean, at peace, are can’t describe how it felt.

It carried on and I could not see my boat by the lake waiting for me to get in and row to the middle.

So I wake and for a second I look out of our bedroom window and see the sun come up, the feeling is still there.

A calmness in my head I wish I could save bottle and sell, so I had to write this as I feel so wonderful.

Blackie

The Waiting Game?

Will it happen is the Question.

Making The Most Of The Day

as i pull my weighted blanket back the cold of our static van hits my head and shoulders, quickly into the small bedroom to get my thermals on and warm green gear. I feel so relaxed in military clothing its not a reminder of the 22 years i served more a comfort feeling and one i can crawl around in while my body still lets me.

I never take anything for granted and know one day i wont be able to crawl along the forest floor or up a tree so i cant be seen. But as long as i can do it i will forfil my life of taking opportunities and making the day as interesting as possible. The van door opens and the freezing air hits my face, as i make my way down the track to my old haunts i first gazed eyes on in 2014.

Bluebell wood as i named it soon to become the nesting area for the Redstart, and Spotted Flycatcher and Tawny Owl. The nest boxes i put up are all in good condition and i will be visiting todya to see if any birds are using the boxes. The Old tree that was home to te Great Spotted Wood pecker has fallen so becomes homes for the wood mouse and insects.

The morning was quiet when i walked up a slight incline with grass and dew covering my way ahead. I looked up to see the face of my friend i see every year, we looked at each other for a second and i turned and walked back to give it freedom. The special moment is hard to describe i try and tell it your safe i wont harm you, i know it wont understand me but i do feel are meetings are one it will remember and i know i am no threat to it or its family.

I walk away and turn, its gone and i reflect another reason why i get up early, to my left movement catches my eye and the long Brown Ears with Black tips tells me its a Brown Hare startled by the Red Fox. Making my way into the woods i hear the Nuthatch and the Redstart. Its been an hour since i left the van so i ake my way back along the path making my plan in my head for the day ahead, i must visit the woods this afternoon and see what comes to visit me.

Song Thrush

The beautiful singing Song Thrush came to feed on my feeder with Sunflower on, its something i have not witnessed before as i see them feeding on worms on the ground. Anyway this is a lovely image of it looking up at the feeder above. The long legs and beautiful markings on the breast together with a huge amazing eye just makes it so special and sits in my top 10 list for its song it produces every morning and evening singing for an hour or more at a time, springis here.

Day 16 Kingfisher Challenge

Well another afternoon sat in a heavy dencse jungle by the side of the river. As I walk towards my location the bird sounds are like a chorus of today is the day Blackie. The setup takes 5 minutes and I sit back looking at the branch that I have seen the King sit on.

The Blackcap comes close to me, checking me out together with 3 Blue Tits. There are birds everywhere on the river the Goosander goes by followed by the Mallard family only 2 ducklings left.

The river is so low, my camera is focused and ready so I poor a coffee and chill thinking to myself where will it land, will it be the male or female. Will it sit just right for me, will the fish or dragon fly be in the beak.

Is the light ok as it gets darker then lighter, using manual mode on any camera is hard as you have full control over the camera, no Auto settings. S o if the light changes you have to compensate for the change. That doesn’t sound a lot but as the light fades it harder to get a sharp image.

After 2 hours a dark cloud came over and the heavens opened, not knowing if the camera was weather sealed i took my Paramo jacket off and placed it over my camera. Sitting in the rain hoping the King stayed were he was and didnt fly onto the perch just above the water.

An other hour passed and the weather picked up a little so things looked good, and when 2 Kingfishers flew past i got ready for them coming back from fishing. That never happened they stayed away and it was back to watching the branch again for another hour. Then without warning the Rain came but this time heavy so i made a dash for the car and called it a day

Thats around 35 hours of filming with 3 good chances to capture a image of this fantastic bird, but still i look for the one that will look good enough for printing and place in a hand carved wood frame, to go with my White Tailed Eagle and Barn Owl.

The

It happened.

Bubbles float down the river, Oystercatchers sound frustrated by the Heron flying in to fish, the Female Mllard swims by with her remaing ducklings calling to them all the time to stay close. The sun shines on a new branch i found and looked a great place fot the Kinfisher to land. Foolish was i that i put my extender on my lens and soon as i did the Male came in and landed for a minute or so turning bothe left and right and straight at me. I was ell hidden but i could kick myself, the extender was playing up so my images were all soft meaning the detail goes from the bird. I have to post as its the best encounter i have had with this my second favorate bird.

Countryside life update

Beautiful weather Beautiful wife and our Beautiful Bella, you could say we are living the dream. Bird song from the Song Thrush morning and evening, rivers flowing both sides of the site, a Beautiful lake with sun set every evening, Owls flying, Kingfisher fishing, the Dipper with its young.

Looking out at our garden with our little pond, flower’s coming through, the Goldfinch, Greenfinch all feeding well. The nest boxes are all being used, the Blue Tit, Great Tit and Tree Sparrow all taking the nesting materials in for building this year’s nest.

Tree blossom everywhere you look, moss covering the site verge, Blackbirds and Thrush collecting worms for the young. The Grey Wagtail and Pied Wagtail flick their long tails as the young copy them. Picnics by the streams and rivers, villages with smoke coming from the chimney, lambs calling as they start the short journey of life, spring back and forth playing and fighting not knowing it will end in September.

Sitting under the trees at night with Ruth gazing into our real fire. It’s dreamland we smile at each other no words spoken just feelings of joy and peace. Life seems to be rolling along just fine, no money to spend, no Prime Van pulling up outside, no Postman to wave to, no bins to remember. The tempation to go and get a bar of chocolate or sweets from the corner shop is not there.

No cars, vans, bin lorries, voices coming back from the pub. Sirens all day long wondering what has happened now.

Onwards and Upwards.

Blackie

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